Back in the early 90’s, when Joe Miller went to help a neighbor build a strange looking house, he never dreamed that he was helping to build the future home of his then growing honey business, Robin Miller’s Honey.

Joe and Robin Miller started the business in 1983 right in their home.  And despite the success of providing a large amount of honey to local residents as well as travelers from around the world, for twenty four years, that’s right where the business remained.

By the summer of 2007, the Miller’s had successfully built a one-of-a-kind honey shop offerring over 20 varieties of raw and gourmet honey to meet the growing demand of our increasingly health concious society.  They had even been published in a Philadelphia newspaper as “a MUST place to visit!”  Regular customers were coming from as far as New York City,  Conneticut, and even Florida to buy honey!

Despite their success, Joe and Robin felt the need for a change. 

Neither did I ever imagine when I built that strange looking house so many years ago (that quite resembles an old fashioned bee hive) that our house would become the home of Robin Miller’s Honey.  But that is exactly what happened.

Last summer, I received a phone call from a bee keeping friend, Gary Stockin of Stockin Apiaries, who over the years has been helping me care for my bees.  I had bees for two reasons; to pollenate my organic fruit orchard and garden, and to make honey.  You see, my wife, Joan, and I have been blessed with seven children and we consume over 300 pounds of raw honey annually.  Gary had also provided us with large amounts of honey when we ran out.  Our little farm could not keep up with demand and we had learned that it is far better to pay for top quality fruits, vegetables and honey than doctor bills.  A teaspoon of sugar may make the medicine go down, but a teaspoon of honey may do away with the medicine altogether.  This time Gary called not to see about our bees or if we needed more honey, but to tell us that Joe Miller was selling his honey business and he thought that we should buy it.

Prior to his call, I had been trusting that God would show me how to provide for my family.  I must first say that it sounded kind of strange.  Two men in the same business,  I am a customer of the one and he is suggesting that I buy the other man’s business!  (But if you knew Joe Miller and Gary Stockin or perhaps other men of like character you would quite understand.  These two men had been helping each other over the years in a most uncommon way.) Seldom does an idea meet with such overwhelming approval.  My wife and children all agreed.  In the past, I have had difficulty selling things.  In the back of my mind I would question if I was really helping people by selling a product, but honey is different.

Honey is endorsed by God Himself!  The Bible says “My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb which is sweet to thy taste:” Proverbs 24:13.  I can think of no other food which bears such an unquestionable stamp of approval by the Creator Himself.

So in August of 2007, Robin Miller’s Honey moved to our house.  The Miller’s have done a great job in training our family to take over the business and redirecting customers to the new location. 

Yes, a perfect match!  As home educators, we desired a home based business as an educational opportunity.  The whole family is involved.  Our oldest son, who just graduated last year, enjoys the financial and scientific end of the business as well as working on our new website <1family.biz>.  Everyone helps with the important tasks of bottling and labeling the honey and making sure that the shelves are stocked.  A neighbor dropped off boxes of books on bee keeping which the whole family is reading with renewed interest.  Several of our daughters are avid photographers and enjoy taking pictures of our bees at work.  However, everyone agrees that the best part is meeting and waiting on customers!  It seems like we are always meeting new and old friends.  Now, people have a reason to visit us and it’s so great to see them!

We have given our small estate the title Newbee’n Farm.  It is a play on words.  Along with our orchards and gardens, we have Nubian dairy goats.  The Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Corinthians “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…” (new being).  We also have about 500,000 pet honey bees.  Add all this together with a little creativity and we came up with New Bee’n Farm.

Robin Miller’s Honey started in a home and we plan to keep it there.  It’s a home business and we plan to keep it that way.  While seasonal fresh produce and goat milk soap may be offerred, we consider providing customers with100% pure, raw honey, (whether it be clover, buckwheat, tupelo, my personal favorite apple blossom or any of the many varities we have in stock) top priority.  We feel great about offerring a treat that is so healthy.  My daughter Erica is working on a cookbook that includes many great recipes for honey.  However, most of our customers enjoy honey in simple to use ways such as:  straight (liquid, crystalized, or comb), in tea (hot or cold), coffee, apple cider vinegar, yogurt, on their toast, muffin and banana, cereals (great on oatmeal), and nuts.

Customers frequently tell us of how honey has benefitted their health.  Many diabetics have shared how they can enjoy honey with no side effects.  People who suffer arthritis have shared how honey mixed with apple cider vinegar (w/”mother”) has given them great relief.  Alergy sufferers are finding that wildflower honey brings healing.  One customer comes from New York City to by raw honey which gives his son victory from acid reflux.  Honey also aids in weight loss, is a great anticeptic for burns and cuts, and the list goes on and on.  I must make note that it is only RAW Honey that gives these results.  Pasturized honey, like that found in most stores, lacks the nutrients and enzymes which are neccesary.

The biggest challenge has been keeping up with the demand of our wholesale accounts.  Robin Miller’s Honey is also available locally at Hartz’s Natural Foods, Hershey’s Market, Pleasant Pastures, and Kimberton Whole Foods.

Frequently customers ask us how our bees are doing.  While bee keeping is becoming increasingly difficult, our bees are doing very well!  Unlike yellow jackets and other more common bees, in general honey bees are gentle creatures and much less likely to sting.  Unless their home is endangered, they usually go about their own business.  My wife, who has helped me with our hives for years, has never been stung by a honey bee.  Honey bees will travel at least five miles in search of nectar and pollen.  While wild honey bees do exist, diseases and increases in mite infiltration has made them rare.  Chances are that if you see a honey bee pollenating the plants in your lawn and garden it belongs to a local beekeeper.  Perhaps it’s busy making some more Robin Miller’s Honey!

                                                         written by Eric Schwandt

                                                               March 6th, 2008